A Warning to Max
by FaithinBones
Summary: Max threatens Booth after he finds out that Brennan is pregnant. Max should have left well enough alone.


AC prompt: What happens if Max threatens to kill Booth after he finds out that Brennan is pregnant and there isn't going to be a wedding? I don't think it would come out quite like Max thinks it would. I think Booth would be a dangerous person to threaten.

I originally published this under "Personal Effects"; but, I received some negative PMs and deleted it. After receiving several Pep talks I have decided to release it as a seperate story. I really appreciate all reviews; but, in this case, I really would like to put this story out there for readers to judge, good or bad.

Just to warn you, this story is a darker view of Booth and Brennan.

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Booth was sitting in the Royal Diner drinking coffee and waiting for Brennan to join him. He'd been reading a file he'd brought along with him when he sensed someone sit down across from him.

Smiling, Booth looked up only to find Max sitting across from him.

Max, very irritated, folded his arms across his chest and informed Booth, "I could kill you and they'd never find your body."

Smirking, Booth leaned back in his chair and asked, "Are you confessing to something, Max?"

Scowling, Max answered, "You think you're so damned funny. Let me tell you something, no one knocks up my little girl and doesn't cough up a wedding ring to fix it."

Leaning towards Max, Booth responded, "I don't know who you think you're playing with Max; but, I'd advise you to back off. I'm not really someone you want to mess with."

Leaning forward, Max put his hands on the table and asked, "Why because you're some hot shot FBI agent? I eat FBI agents for lunch."

Smiling, Booth shook his head and replied, "Push me and you'll find out why. I'm not afraid of you or your threats. You stay out of my personal business or you won't like what happens next."

"Oh, I'm so scared. The FBI agent is going to arrest me. Listen up wise guy, you ask my daughter to marry you or I'll make you disappear. I'm only telling you this once."

Brennan arriving at the table, heard Max's threat, "Dad, this is none of your business. You leave Booth alone and I mean it. This is between me and him and you have no place in the equation."

Standing, Max pleaded, "I'm just looking out for you Honey."

Glaring, Brennan asked, "Like you did when I was a child? Like you did when you abandoned me into Foster Care?"

Blushing, Max explained, "I had to do that, Honey. I was protecting you."

Shaking her head, Brennan replied, "I don't need that kind of protection Dad."

Sensing he'd overstepped the line, Max sighed, turned and left the diner, Booth watching Max leave.

Oooooooooooooo

Max, feeling very groggy opened his eyes and then closed them. He wasn't sure what he'd seen; but, since what he'd seen wouldn't have been found in his bedroom he figured he must still be dreaming.

Breathing deeply, Max opened his eyes again and looked around. Finding himself surrounded by earthen walls and the sky overhead blocked out with trees, Max put his hands over his eyes and remarked, "What the Hell?"

Slowly sitting up, Max looked around and exclaimed, "Shit."

Standing up, Max looked over the top of the hole he'd been laying in and found himself looking at Booth. Booth was sitting on a log, reading a book and sipping a thermos cup of coffee.

Booth finally seeing Max pop up, observed, "It's about damn time. I must have used more than I thought I had."

Shaking his head, Max moved his arms on top of the hole and pulled himself out. Panting, Max lay next to the hole and stared at Booth.

Booth, putting his coffee cup and book down, picked up the gun that had been lying in his lap and aimed it at Max. "Did Bones ever tell you what I did in the Army?"

Shaking his head, Max slowly sat up and put his hands on his face, "What the hell did you do to me?"

Smirking, Booth answered, "That's for me to know. Answer the question. Did Bones ever tell you what I did for the Army?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Max answered, "She said you were a sniper."

Smiling, Booth asked, "That's all?"

Nodding his head, Max answered, "Yeah, so what? You think that scares me? You think this scares me?"

Tapping his gun against his leg, Booth cocked his head and looked at Max. Sighing, "I was in the Rangers. I did a little more than sniper duty."

Max, beginning to worry, remained silent.

Nodding his head, Booth moved his gun back and aimed at Max again, "I had an interesting career in the Army. When the Army needed to end someone they'd send me in to do it."

Licking his lips, Max asked, "End?"

Smiling, Booth ran the top of his gun across his throat.

Nodding his head, Max asked, "What do you want from me? I was just mad when I heard about the baby. I may have let my mouth run away from me. I wouldn't really hurt you. Tempe would never forgive me. I'm not stupid. I was just trying to bluff you that's all."

"I told Booth that was probably the case; but, he wanted to make sure."

Standing up and turning around, Max saw his daughter sitting against a tree on the opposite side of the hole he'd been lying in.

"Tempe, what's going on here?"

Smiling, Brennan explained, "Booth and I talked it over and we wanted you to understand that we are perfectly capable of taking care of ourselves. We don't respond to threats very well and we don't want outsiders interfering in our lives."

Sighing, Max held his hands out, "I'm not an outsider I'm your father."

Shrugging her shoulders, Brennan explained, "Yes, you are; but, you gave up your parental rights a long time ago. Booth and I will run our lives they way we see fit and we will not tolerate your interference. I will not tolerate your making threats against Booth. He won't tolerate threats against me. We're partners."

Pointing at the hole, Max asked, "And the hole, Booth's gun, what are you trying to prove?"

Smiling, Brennan replied, "That you aren't the only one capable of killing someone and making their body disappear. Don't threaten Booth anymore. This is your only warning, Dad."

Nodding his head, Max swallowed, "Ok, this whole thing got out of hand. I was just bluffing Booth. I wasn't serious. You're adults. You handle your pregnancy like you want. You will anyways."

Walking around the hole, Brennan walked over to where Booth was now standing. Putting her hand on Booth's gun, Brennan said, "You will behave Dad."

Smirking, Booth put his gun in the back of his waist band, picked up his book and cup, turned around and started walking through the forest. Brennan following Booth, stopped and turned around. Looking at her father she asked, "Coming Dad? I'm pretty sure you don't want to walk the fifty miles back to the nearest town. . . The next time you feel compelled to threaten to kill Booth over some antiquated notion you have of marriage ignore it."

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Ok. Remember I actually like Max. I based this story on something Booth said in the episode "The Woman in the Car". In that episode Booth said that when he was in the army, his work made him the person "they needed rescued from".


End file.
